I have a few shows I’ve directed in the past that have been extra special to me; they carry an extra-special place in my heart:  The Importance of Being Earnest was the first show where I truly found my voice as a director– an aesthetic and and approach that spoke to me, personally.  The Turn of the Screw challenged that approach with an pair of consummate actors and fostered my love for non-traditional spaces.  And Enchanted April was a beautiful show to run and perform because of the commitment to ensemble work that the cast showed each and every step of the way.

I’ve directed a few shows since then, and while I always enjoy the work and have been lucky enough to have casts I like, I haven’t quite felt the spark of potential that those three shows embody for me.

Until this weekend.  Richard III began its initial rehearsals at WSF a few days ago, and I am absolutely charged up by the specific energy, intelligence, and style this group has to offer this play.  They’re smart.  They’re committed.  They’re up for anything.  They’re also vocal and challenging and fiercely independent which means I’ll have to stay on top of my game– a challenge I’ve probably needed for some time.

I am looking forward to what this cast and this play will teach me in the coming weeks.  At the end of yesterday’s rehearsal I expressed my expectations of them:  to be courageous, to take specific action, to do their homework.  I expect the same of myself as we move forward to craft this story together.

But I know that one other thing will come forth from this process:  love.  Love of the art form, love of the people who commit to it, and love of the way it can move us all in the creating and performing.

Heather Parish
Artistic Director and director of Richard III